Optimization of traffic network design using nature-inspired algorithm: An Optimization via Simulation Approach

ENRIGUE GABRIEL BAQUELA; ANA CAROLINA OLIVERA

Handbook of Research on Modern Optimization Algorithms and Applications in Engineering and Economics

IGI GLOBAL

Año: 2016; p. 266 - 287

These days, urban expansion has become a special issue due to the impact in ecosystem, biodiversity and human activities (Bhatta, Saraswati & Bandyopadhyay, 2010; He, Tian, Shi, & Hu, 2011; Haregeweyn, Fikadu, Tsunekawa, Tsubo, & Meshesha, 2012; Poelmans & Rompaey, 2010). However, the absence of urbanization planning policies around the world has turned this expansion process chaotic and disorganized A very common phenomenon is the urban sprawl, which means that a city has spread into several suburbs connected with the commercial and economic center of the town through highways, resulting thus in vehicle dependency (He, Okada, Zhang, Shi, & Li, 2010).When planning to expand a city, it is necessary to achieve a sustainable use of the land, to exploit the roads and highways with low traffic, and to reorganize the urbanization process in order to guarantee a minimization of the environmental impact and a reduction of traffic problems (He, Tian, Shi, & Hu, 2011).In this context, in recent years a lot of work has focused on redefining expansion areas in urban settlements (Ferreira & Condessa, 2012), and on employing Geographical Information Systems with sensors to test the impact of urban planning policies (Stanilov & Batty, 2011; Xiao et al., 2006). If investing in new infrastructure (sensors, data recover stations, etc.) is not possible, then the simulation and optimization heuristics become the alternatives to analyze the impact of urban expansion models on the landscape (Poelmans & Rompaey, 2010). In this chapter it is proposed to use a framework based on Optimization via Simulation (OvS) which combines Genetic Algorithms (GA) and Traffic Simulation in order to evaluate the organization urban planning in the cities, taking into account its impact on the traffic network. The objectives of this chapter are:Introduce the traffic optimization problem. Introduce the Origin-Destiny Traffic Assignment Problem.Explain how to model the Origin-Destiny Traffic Assignment Problem.Show the main aspects of Genetic Algorithms and Optimization via Simulation.Introduce the traffic simulation.Explain how to solve the Origin-Destiny Traffic Assignment Problem with Genetic Algorithms and Optimization via Simulation.Test the effects of parameters selection over the solutions found by OvS.